South Africa's Namaqua National Park

Useful Information

History

Namaqua National Park was officially proclaimed in 1999. Conservation in the area started in 1988 when WWF-SA purchased a part of the Skilpad Farm to conserve wildflowers. By 2004, work began on a proposed corridor to the coast. In 2005, negotiations started with De Beers Namaqualand Mine to eventually acquire the Groen-Spoeg River section of the national park by 2008.

The park is named after the Khoikhoi people of the area. "Nama" is the name of the area that they are originally from, and the suffix "qua" means "people." They were Iron Age pastoral herders that replaced the Stone Age San (Bushmen) hunter-gatherers that previously inhabited this area.

Wildlife

The park is home to many smaller mammals, such as rodents, insectivores, hares, cats, and small antelope. The little steenbok, the agile common duiker, and gangs of meerkat occur here. Four-striped grass mouse and round-eared elephant shrew constantly run between shrubs. Cunning black-backed jackal survey the surroundings daily, and nocturnal insectivores like bat-eared fox, aardvark, aardwolf, and Cape fox own the night. Chacma baboon occur, and if you visit the coastal section, you may encounter rookeries of the Cape fur seal. Caracal and African wild cat reside here, and Cape mountain leopard occasionally traverse the park.

Rodents attract various raptors, such as rock kestrel, black-shouldered kite, black harrier, and many more. Desert birds, like the cinnamon-breasted warbler, attract birders from far and wide. Reptiles are plentiful, and the protection of angulate tortoise and speckled padloper is a top priority.

Vegetation & Terrain

Namaqualand is famed for being a biodiversity hotspot with the largest concentration of succulents in the world. It is a semidesert with vegetation belonging to the succulent Karoo biome, north-western mountain renosterveld, and Namaqualand broken veld. The area has undulating plains extending to the Kamiesberg Range mountains. When the flowers bloom in a wide array of colors in spring, the plains seem even to put the majestic mountains to shame.

The succulent Karoo biome for which the area is known can be divided into the strandveld succulent Karoo, lowland succulent Karoo, and succulent upland Karoo. Unfortunately, a tiny percentage of this biome is formally protected.

Activities

Namaqualand is synonymous with flowers. After the annual winter rains, the usually arid Namaqualand transforms into a magical wonderland as a mass of flowers blossom. Carpets of orange, yellow, and purple flowers cover the expanse. The most popular activity is walking or driving around with a "Wow" erupting every few minutes. The circular drive is excellent for flower viewing and offers scenic viewpoints along the way. If you prefer to walk, the Silver Sands Trail is for you; here, hikers experience both oceanic and floral views.

The park offers a multitude of other attractions and activities. The area is well-known for its excellent mountain biking terrain and birding opportunities. Guests can also drive through the park in search of the unique animals that reside in the area; the speckled padloper (the world's smallest tortoise) and the angulate tortoise are endemic to the area. Various 4x4 eco-routes exist, and opportunities for landscape and wildlife photographers and cinematographers are endless.